There is an old story that I
heard while I was in seminary. Several Baptists are sitting around and one
asks, “If you were not a Baptist, what would you be?” One thought a few minutes and said, “Well, I
guess I could be a Methodist.” Another
said, “I could be comfortable as a Disciples of Christ member.” One did not answer, so he was asked, “What
would you be if you were not a Baptist?”
He readily responded, “I’d be ashamed.”
I have learned a lot about
Christian groups since then. I now know
that there are a lot of different kinds of Baptists. In their Handbook of
Denominations in America (11th ed.), Mead and Hill identify 20
Baptist groups in the United States alone. Wikipedia lists over sixty. The Baptist World
Alliance reports more than 41 million members worldwide
in more than 150,000 congregations.
I now understand that Baptists agree on certain principles, but they
differ on others such as eschatology, theology (Calvinism versus Arminianism), support
from taxation, the gifts of the spirit, how the Bible should be interpreted
(hermeneutics), whether or not to send and support missionaries, who should
participate in the Lord’s Supper, church governance and authority, the role of
women in the church, and gender issues.
I continue to learn about other denominations
through conversation, experience, and study. I have had the opportunity to know
those who have left other denominations and become Baptists (but still think
like Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, etc., about many personal
matters). Some of my friends who were
once Baptists are now Methodists, Lutherans, or Episcopalians but still carry
some of their “Baptist baggage” with them.
I find very often that I seem to
have more in common with some of those in other denominations that I do with those
in my own church.
All of this provided two key insights for me.
First, identifying myself as a Baptist (even as a progressive Baptist) does not
really say who I am. Labels are convenient,
but they don’t truly define the complexity of an individual. Second, I am part of the body of Christ—a rich,
diverse group of individuals—and I want to embrace that identity.
You may note that I have changed the tag line of
this blog from “progressive Baptist” to “Christ-follower.” I am still a Baptist and don’t expect to be
otherwise, but many of the things that I comment upon and about which I am
concerned apply to Christians from various Christian traditions. They are common concerns among
believers. This change is a small effort
on my part to acknowledge my unity with all who call upon the name of
Christ. To God be the Glory!
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